30 August 2012

GLAAD: CW Leads with Most LGBT Inclusive and Diverse Programming

Television depictions of the LGBT community are overwhelmingly white and male, according to the sixth annual Network Responsibility Index released by GLAAD. Some sixty-nine percent of LGBT impressions on broadcast networks are made by gay men. Two-thirds of those "broadcast hours showcas[e] white people," notes the report.

CW remains the top broadcast network for LGBT impressions and the most diversity—thanks to programming such as America's Next Top Model and The L.A. Complex , with its intriguing gay storyline around a closeted rapper. "29% of its primetime programming hours [is] LGBT-inclusive. The CW also registered the most racial diversity with 62% of impressions made by LGBT people/characters of color."

For the fourth year in a row CBS remained in last place with 8% LGBT-inclusive hours of primetime programming, dropping 2 percentage points from last year. The leading cable network is Showtime with some 46% of its programming LGBT inclusive. Others include ABC Family (34%), TNT (34%) and HBO (33%).

One final note and disturbing note:

"Transgender representation continues to be low on nearly every television network. Transgender inclusive hours recorded on broadcast television went from 0.002% last year to 0.01% this year, the number also remained extremely low for the cable networks tracked at 0.005%. Transgender storylines are often exploitative and overtly negative"

The report surveyed primetime programming on the five broadcast networks and original primetime programming on 10 major cable networks. The full report HERE.